


the game

by agentcalliope



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Conversations, F/M, Friendship/Love, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Identity Reveal, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-04
Updated: 2018-04-04
Packaged: 2019-04-18 14:00:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14214693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/agentcalliope/pseuds/agentcalliope
Summary: May notices Jemma and Deke spending time together. She doesn't understand.She doesn't like that.





	the game

* * *

 

 

The first time she notices, she’s just passed the kitchen on her way downstairs when she hears Jemma laugh.

It’s a nice laugh. A hearty laugh. The type of laugh that makes May smile as she continues to walk, although she would never admit it to anyone.

 

And then she hears Deke.

 

He’s laughing, too. Another nice laugh. Another hearty laugh. The type of laugh that makes May pause, the type of laugh that make her glance at the watch on her wrist, and determine that she has just enough time to investigate.

They’re still laughing as she stands at the entrance. May can only see their backs, hunched over, so close side by side that they touch.

 

She narrows her eyes. Shifts the strap of her bag on her shoulder, and she doesn’t let them know she was there before she leaves.

  
That’s the first time she notices it.

 

Soon, there’s the second, third, fourth, fifth. So on, and so on. Jemma and Deke cooking together, the soup on the stove bubbling over, Jemma scolding him. With a _smile_. Deke and Jemma playing cards, hours on hours of just Jemma, teaching him how to play all the games she knows. Deke and Jemma, Jemma and Deke.

 

 

May doesn’t understand.

She doesn’t like that.

 

The seventeenth, or eighteenth, time she notices, she’s been searching the globe with Daisy for any sign of Coulson. She nods as Daisy speaks to her, makes all the motions she knows implies that she’s listening, but she’s really not. She’s too busy hearing Jemma’s excitedly telling Deke all about dogs, and listening to Deke’s proclamation that his favorites are greyhounds.

“But I’ve only just told you about greyhounds!”

“So?”

“So, don’t you want to hear about other dog breeds first?”

“Don’t need to. I love greyhounds.”

 

Somehow, the conversation suddenly shifts to zoos, and May blinks. Glances at her watch and sees that she’s forgotten the time, and that it’s 4:55 pm, and if she doesn’t leave right _now_ she’s going to be late.

May curses under her breath and stands up quickly.

 

“Everything okay?” Daisy asks, fingers hovering over the keyboard.

“Yeah. Don’t worry. Keep going through it, I’ll be back soon.” May says, and she knows that it’s not nearly enough to placate Daisy, not at all. She’s taught her well enough for that. But she doesn’t have time to explain, not now when she still has to make it back to her room grab her bag, and make it downstairs on time.

 

* * *

 

She doesn’t wait for the door to lock behind her before she sits in the chair across from him.

Fitz blinks, unlaces his hands. “You’re late.”

“Yeah. I’m sorry.” May tucks a strand of hair behind her ear and leans down to reach into the bag.

“You’re never late.”

“Well,” she pulls out the chessboard, places it on the table. “This time, I am.”

 

They pick up from where they left off.

 

* * *

 

May moves her knight. Fitz doesn’t hesitate moving his bishop to take it, and he smiles slightly as she clicks her tongue and crosses her arms.

 

She then goes to move her last remaining pawn before she speaks.

“Jemma talk to you about Deke?”

She watches as Fitz takes her pawn.

“About what?”

May moves her rook.

“She’s been spending a lot of time with him.”

“Huh.” He replies, quickly taking that rook with his queen.

“You don’t seem surprised.”

“Should I be?”

“What’s going on?”

Fitz pauses, her bishop in his hand. “What?”

“You know you can trust me.” She moves her king up.

“Of course. I know that.”

“So, tell me. What’s going on.”

Fitz sighs. Moves his queen diagonally, takes her rook. “Deke’s our grandson. Jemma and mine. Apparently, we have a daughter, and then she has him.”

May’s been through a lot, but she hasn’t been through something like this. She clears her throat.

“Are you sure?” She’s finally able to make herself ask.

“Yep.” He replies, popping the ‘p’, swooping in to take her other knight.

“And It’s not that I don’t understand it, because I do,” Fitz shakes his head. “That he’s our grandson. But Jemma’s all like _‘he’s perfect!’_ and I’m just. I don’t know. He’s an _asshole_.”

May leans back in her seat. “An asshole.”

“Yes! An asshole.”

“Why?”

“Because,” Fitz gestures with his hands. “He’s…”

“He’s what?”

“He sold Daisy into _slavery_!” Fitz sucks in a breath, and cradles his head in his hands. “I don’t know. I’m, I’m not ready to be a parent, let alone a grandparent.”

 

May reaches over, touches his shoulder lightly, and then sits back again.

“Daisy wants to find Robin. Use her to find Coulson.”

 

Fitz exhales, leans back in his seat. “How do you feel about that?”

“How do I feel about that?” May repeats. “I feel that she just died in my arms, calling me ‘mom’. How do you think I feel?”

Fitz doesn’t answer.

May reaches into her bag, pulls out two bottles of beer and a bottle opener. She opens them, and hands one to Fitz.

“You can’t choose who cares about you.” May says, after she takes a sip. “And you can’t choose who you care about, either.”

He stares at her, and she stares back.

 

Fitz drinks, and she focuses on the wedding band on his finger. The game lies before them, forgotten, but she will never forget every single piece she’s had to lose, and how much each one means to her.

Fitz rubs the bottle with his thumb, clears his throat. “I don’t deserve to have anyone care about me. Not after all the things I’ve done.” He looks up. “I’ve gotten a grandson, but I’ve lost a friend.”

“You haven’t lost her yet.”

“Well, she’s not going to forgive me.”

“No, she’s not. But it doesn’t mean that you’ve _lost_ her.” She knows he doesn’t believe her, but she knows that it’s true, anyway.

 

“You don’t have to make me promises. You don’t have to try to make me feel better.” Fitz sighs. “I’m not a child, May.”

 

“Well.” May pauses. “In that case,” she moves her queen and takes his. “I’m not going to let you win.”

 

* * *

 

“Deke.”

He looks like he’s surprised she’s said his name. Or that she even knows his name. She isn’t sure which one it is. “Uh, yeah?” He says, his voice rising a couple of octaves.

May gestures with a nod, and he glances around before he moves towards her.

May smiles.

“Tai Chi is at five. Yes, in the morning. Yes, you do not have a choice. Don’t be late.”

**Author's Note:**

> thank you to em and leah for looking this over!!!


End file.
